


Just a Dream

by SwanQueen4tw



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Swan-Mills Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-07
Updated: 2015-05-07
Packaged: 2018-03-29 11:45:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3895117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwanQueen4tw/pseuds/SwanQueen4tw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set when Emma and Henry go to NY after Regina gives them new memories. It seems some things are too strong that even magic can't erase. What happens when Emma dreams about a certain brunette and then sees her in a coffee shop?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just a Dream

I grumbled as I made my way back to the apartment; another horrible date. They all seemed to end badly. This guy only wanted to sleep with me, and was a total scumbag when I said no. As I walked in, I heard the sound of guns firing. “Kid, I’m home.” I slid out of my coat and threw it over a chair.

         “Hey Mom.” Henry paused his game and watched as I fell onto the couch. “Another bad date?” I propped my feet up on the coffee table and leaned my head back with a sigh. “Honestly, I don’t see why you don’t date a woman. I mean, you were mumbling her name again in your sleep.”

         “Henry, not this again.” I groaned and covered my face with an arm.

         “I’m just saying. You call out for this Regina woman at least three nights a week.” When I didn’t reply, Henry went back to his game.

         For weeks now, I’ve been having dreams about this woman with long brunette hair and chocolate brown eyes. She was always dressed well. In the dreams, she would look at me with such pain and vulnerability in her eyes and then turn to walk away. I’d call out for her but she couldn’t hear me. Or, I was being dragged away and she would reach out for me. Our fingertips would be centimeters apart, but she was never able to grab my hand to pull me back. Some nights I would wake up with my face buried into a wet pillow. The first night it happened, Henry confronted me the next morning. He asked who Regina was. And that he heard me calling out to her when he got up to use the bathroom.

“I doubt she exists, Henry.” Something clenched inside me. The dreams felt so real and I felt connected to this mystery woman. There was such pain in Regina’s dark eyes and all I wanted to do was help her. I wanted to take away that pain somehow. “Anyway, it’s getting late. Finish this level and then get ready for bed.”

That night was no different. I dreamt about Regina but this time she stood before me and held my hand in hers. Henry was there and both of us were crying. _A good life, for you and for Henry._ After she let go of my hand, I took Henry and we got in my bug. As we drove off, I watched her disappear in my rearview mirror.

Xxx

When I woke the next morning, my pillow was drenched in tears, and somehow I had thrown the blanket onto the floor. I was wrapped up in the sheet. My alarm hadn’t gone off yet, so I just laid there staring at the ceiling. The dream I had last night felt so real. The look in the brunette’s eyes broke my heart. I wanted to stay with her, but she told me I had to go. Groaning, I finally untangled myself and dismissed the alarm, so it wouldn’t go off. I needed coffee and Henry needed to get ready for school.

After dropping Henry off at school, I went to the coffee shop near work. “Emma! How are you this…oh you look horrible. What happened?” Joe, a taller man who worked behind the counter, greeted me the second I walked in.

“Eh, bad night. Can you just get me my regular?” Joe gave me a nod as I took my seat by the window. It was gloomy and gray out today; much like the weather in my dream. I couldn’t stop thinking about the brunette woman and the way she looked at me. She was strong, but I could see her heart was breaking when she had to let me and Henry go.

“Here you go Emma.” Joe set a plate and cup of steaming coffee before me. “Everything okay?” He was genuinely concerned. Joe and I met the first day I came to New York with Henry after our condo in Boston burnt down. He helped us find a place to live and showed us around the city.

“I just didn’t sleep well last night. I’ll be fine once I get caffeine in me.”

Joe stood there a moment watching. “Whatever you say Emma.” He placed a hand on my shoulder before walking back to the front. The morning rush was about to start and he needed to get ahead of it.

I continued to sip my coffee as the morning flood of people filtered in and out. When I finished the bear claw, I took the empty plate to the counter. Turning around, I dropped the mug that was in my hand. It was her. Regina. The sound of shattering glass finally broke me from my speechlessness. “It’s you…”

The brunette’s head tilted to the side slightly. “Excuse me?” Her voice was like velvet and wrapped around me. The woman took a few steps in my direction. “Do we know each other?”

“Uh…” The smell of cinnamon, apples, and musk filled my senses.

Her dark eyes slid down my body to the broken glass. “It seems you’ve lost your blood flow.” Chocolate eyes flashed back to mine. “I do believe you need another cup. But this time, don’t drop it.” She brushed by me as another clerk scrambled over with a mop, bucket, and sweeper. I couldn’t move. Regina’s voice sent shivers down my spine. Her eyes were as gorgeous as they were in my dreams. The only difference is that this time there were no tears.

I walked back to my seat and could feel her eyes burning into me. Joe took her order as I sat. What the hell just happened to me? There was a lump in my throat and my heart tried to pound its way out of my chest. Of course the first words out of my mouth were “It’s you.” Very creeper like Emma. Way to go. I continued to scold myself until a large to-go cup was set in front of me. I looked at the leather covered hand a second before moving my eyes up the joining arm and to the brunette’s face. “Hey…”

“Hey.” She gave a simple shrug.

“Uh…t-take a seat?” I sounded like an idiot. And why would she sit down? She doesn’t even know me. The brunette sat quietly and sipped her own cup. “T-thanks.” I cleared my throat. “For the coffee.”

“Well you seem unable to function correctly without it, and you have a job I assume. Therefore, you need more caffeine. I know an addict when I see one.” The woman smirked and I felt a small blush cross my cheeks.

“Yeah. I’ve got a job, and I’m a caffeine addict for sure.” I took a small sip; not taking my eyes off of the older woman. “I’m Emma by the way.” I placed the cup down before extending a hand in her direction.

“Regina.” She took my hand and gave a gentle squeeze. “Nice to meet you, Emma.” Her hand felt like it did in the dream, and I loved the way my name sounded when she said it.

“Nice to meet you too.” I didn’t want to let go of her hand. After I retracted my arm, I had to keep my hand from fidgeting. Holding my cup with both hands was the only thing I could think of. We sat in silence just drinking coffee and looking out towards the street.

“It’s a lovely city, New York, but sometimes I long for a smaller town. One that doesn’t move so fast.” Regina’s voice seems nostalgic. Flashes of different dreams came to mind. Some of the dreams were of Regina and I in what seemed like a small town. It had a main street with shops and a diner.

“Have you ever lived in one before? A small town I mean.” I studied Regina’s reflection in the window.

“I lived in one once.” A simple sentence, that gave nothing to go on. Regina didn’t elaborate like other people would do.

“Why did you leave?” I took a long sip of coffee.

“It was too painful.” There was a flash of anguish on Regina’s face but soon disappeared. “I had to leave.”

“I’m sorry.” My voice was a whisper. I wanted to reach out to her but I knew I couldn’t. Even if I felt like I knew her, she didn’t know me. Regina didn’t say anything. But then again, what could you say?

“Isn’t it time for you to get to work?” Regina’s voice was dry and very matter of fact.

Glancing at the clock, I jumped up. “Shit!” I scrambled to get my coat and scarf on. “Yeah I do actually. Thanks for the coffee.”

“You’re welcome. You’ll buy next time.” Regina took a long sip of coffee as she watched me.

“Yeah, I will.” I paused a moment. “Have a nice day.”

“You as well.”

Xxx

That day, I was off my game. I couldn’t concentrate on the bounty I was supposed to catch. When the corrupt CEO never showed up, I just decided to leave. I was worthless if I couldn’t concentrate. “Hey Em, you’re here early.” Joe threw a dish towel over his shoulder. “What can I get for you?”

“Just a large coffee is fine.” I took my seat at the table I sat in this morning. Memories of Regina sitting across from me came to mind. I wondered if I would ever see her again.

“So, you wanna talk about it?” Joe slid into the seat across from me. When I didn’t answer, he continued. “The woman this morning, who was she?”

“Well her name is Regina. That’s all I know.” Joe’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

“No one looks at each other the way the two of you did when you don’t know one another. Spill. Or I’ll take your coffee away.” Joe grabbed the mug before I could reach for it again.

“Hey!” When Joe wouldn’t give the mug back I huffed. “I don’t know who she is. How long was she here for after I left?”

“Not much longer. She finished her coffee and left a good tip. I guess leaving a tip for all three cups of coffee.” A light blush crossed my cheeks. “But it’s odd. It really seemed like the two of you knew each other.”

All I did was shrug. I couldn’t tell Joe about my dreams. “I don’t know. But I better get home. I’m taking the rest of the day off. I have to get some stuff done before Henry gets home from school.”

Xxx

“Mom? You home?” Henry closed the door behind him. “Hello?”

“In here Henry!” I closed my laptop as Henry came into the living room. “Hey kiddo. How was school?”

“It was good.” He hesitated slightly. “What are you doing home so early?”

“The guy never showed up so I just came home.”

“Uh-huh.” Henry watched me skeptically as he took his backpack to his room. Once he returned, Henry plopped down on the couch. “While that might be true, what’s the real reason? Did something happen?”

I chewed my bottom lip a moment before answering. “You know that Regina woman from those dreams?” Henry gave a slow nod. “Well, she apparently does exist.” I watched as my son’s eyes grew wide.

“Seriously? How do you know?” His voice rose with each word; excitement clear. “Did you speak to her?”

“Yes I’m serious. I saw her in the coffee shop. And yes we spoke.” Henry was all but bouncing with excitement. “Will you calm down?”

“I can’t help it. Mom, the woman, literally, of your dreams is alive!” I couldn’t help but chuckle. “So, are you going to see her again?”

“Wow. Calm down kid. I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again. New York is a big city.” I continued to tell Henry about Regina and what we talked about. He was excited but finally settled down some.

“That’s awesome Mom. Hopefully you’ll see her again.”

I gave him a slight nod. “Yeah. But anyway, get your homework done before dinner. I’ll start cooking soon.” Henry smiled and went into his room.

Once dinner was done, I set the table and called Henry. “Hey kid, food’s ready.”

“It smells great.” Henry took a seat and dug right in. I shook my head. He ate just like me even though he had manners. As we ate, there was a light knock on the door. “Are we expecting someone?”

“No, we’re not.” I stood slowly. “Stay here.” Making my way towards the door, I was cautious. I told my boss to never bother me at home but that didn’t stop him sometimes. When I opened it, I froze. “R-Regina?”

“Emma?” Unlike me, Regina stayed calm and collected. “I didn’t realize you were the Emma they spoke of.”

“Y-yeah. Can I help you?”

“Yes, I need your help finding someone. A man stole something very important to me and I can’t wait for the police to drag their feet. I know you’re in the business of tracking people. You’re very infamous around certain circles.”

I wasn’t sure what to say. For some reason, I had the overwhelming urge to invite her in. “Uh…please come in. We can talk about this inside.”

“Thank you.” Regina brushed past me. When our shoulders touched, electricity ran straight up my spine. What the hell was this woman doing to me?

“Who told me about you?” I paused. “I mean, who told you about me?” Damn, she had me tongue tied.

Regina turned with a smirk. “Someone who owed me a favor. I’m sorry to intrude on your dinner.”

“Mom?” Regina and I looked towards my son’s voice.

“You have a son?” Regina’s brow rose.

“Yes. Let me introduce you.” Regina followed me into the joining dining area. “Henry, this is Regina. Regina, this is my son, Henry.”

“Hello Henry.” Something felt so familiar when Regina said Henry’s name. Something from my dreams maybe?

“Hello. How are you?” I prayed Henry wouldn’t mention my dreams to this woman. That’s the last thing she needed to know.

“I’m well. And yourself?” There was something longing in Regina’s eyes as she spoke to Henry.

“Good. Pull up a chair. We have plenty of food.” Henry smiled.

Regina chuckled at my son’s comment. “Well, it seems that’s up to your mother.” Regina turned her attention to me. There was a twitch at the corner of her mouth when she noticed the blush on my cheeks. “Well Emma? May I stay?” Her voice was a purr.

“S-sure. I’ll get you a plate.” I fixed Regina a plate and poured her a glass of wine. “Here you go.”

“Thank you. Oh, you like Mascoto as well?” The glimmer in Regina’s eyes confused me. Why was she happy about the type of wine I drank?

“It’s my favorite. You can only find it in one store here.” I took my seat at the table and felt strangely comfortable with Regina joining us. “So, you said you needed my help finding someone?”

“Yes,” Regina dabbed her mouth with a napkin before continuing. “I own The Museum of Modern Art on West 53rd Street and we were, somehow, robbed yesterday. I filed out a report with the police but you know all the red tape they have to go through. Unlike you of course.”

“That’s the one that has stuff from Van Gogh to Warhol and other stuff right?”

Regina’s brow rose. “You seem to know museums.”

I shrugged. “I take Henry to them on the weekends. I enjoy art but he loves History and stuff like that.”

Regina’s features softened. “Well it seems Henry’s a very smart boy.”

“He is. Sometimes I’m surprised he’s my kid.” I ruffled Henry’s hair and he pulled away.

“Hey I’m right here. You can stop talking about me like I’m not.” Regina and I chuckled at the look on my son’s face.

“Well, I’d be happy to help you. I’ll need to see the security tapes and everything from that day.” I turned my attention back to Regina.

“Of course. When would you like to come by my office?” Regina watched me over the rim of her wineglass.

“Uhm…Does tomorrow afternoon work?” I finished my plate and took it to the kitchen.

“That’s fine. Dinner was lovely. Thank you.” Regina brought her plate into the kitchen and placed it in the sink. Since she was so close, I got another whiff of her perfume. My head became foggy and I found it hard to concentrate. “Are you alright Emma?” Regina’s voice was smooth and her eyes were hypnotizing. I couldn’t look away.

“Y-yeah I’m f-fine.” I caught myself wanting to glance down at her red lips but thankfully I stopped myself. Tearing my eyes away, I shifted from one foot to the other. “Henry, are you done?” I brushed past Regina and went to grab Henry’s empty plate.

“Yeah I’m done.” Henry watched me skeptically. He picked up on my body language. I felt Regina’s eyes burning into me.

“Well, I need to get home and do a few things.” I turned as Regina walked towards me. “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon Miss. Swan.” Regina’s eyes left me breathless as she passed. “Goodnight Henry. It was nice meeting you.”

“You too.” Regina left and Henry spoke back up. “What was that about? Mom?”

“I…uhm…” Loading the dishwasher, I attempted to regain my speech. “I don’t know.”

Xxx

The next day, I made sure to look nice when I went to the museum. It was one of those formal places where jeans were frowned upon. Dress pants and a blazer were very uncomfortable for me. I was used to jeans and a leather jacket. “I’m here for a meeting with Miss. Uh…the owner.” The receptionist looked me over. He had that ‘you don’t belong here’ vibe radiating off of him.

“Ah, Miss. Swan.” Both of us looked in the direction of Regina’s voice. “I’ve been expecting you.” Regina wore a dark red dress with a black blazer. Her heels clicked with authority as she walked across the marble floor.

“Hey.” Disregarding the receptionist, I walked towards her. “How are you?”

“I’m well. Follow me.” I did as Regina asked and followed her to the office. As we entered the well decorated room, I waited to take a seat in one of the guest chairs. “Please, take a seat. I’ll bring up the footage.” I sat as Regina typed away.

“You have a very nice museum.” I tried not to fidget. When I read the name plate on her desk it seemed familiar. “Mills…”

“Thank you. Yes?”

“Your name seems familiar…” I tried to figure out where I knew it from. It wasn’t in my dreams but I could swear I knew it from somewhere.

“You said you’ve been here before, yes?”

“Yeah, I have been.” My attention went back to the brunette.

“I have some art being shown in one of the wings. You’ve probably seen the paintings when you brought Henry. I have the footage up.”

I stood and walked around the oak desk. “Yeah, that’s probably it.” I placed a hand on the leather chair and looked over Regina’s shoulder. Regina clicked the play button and I watched the theft from each angle. “Well, it looks like a white male, about 6’ 2”, muscular build and…” I paused when I saw a tattoo on his forearm. “What’s that? Can you rewind?”

“Yes.” Regina did as I asked and paused the video when I got a decent shot of his tattoo.

“Can you make that out? The forearm tattoo?” I couldn’t tell what it was.

Regina studied the pixilated image. “Not too in detail but I can try.” She turned in her chair and started to sketch on a scrap piece of paper. I watched in amazement as her hand moved across the page.

“What did he steal?” I couldn’t take my eyes off Regina’s hands.

“A stature that was done by my….” Regina’s voice trailed off. “By an old friend of mine.” I could tell there was something more to that then she was letting on. An ex maybe? “Here,” Regina leaned back and gave me the paper.

“Is that a lion tattoo? It looks like one of those images you see in fairytale symbols or something.” Honestly, if you have that tattooed on your arm, in today’s world, it’s rather tacky. The black ink would fade quickly.

“Yes, it seems to be. Can you find him on just that?” There was a strange vibe coming from Regina. Her voice slightly wavered.

“I’ll pass it around my people. We should be able to find him. And I’ll get the statue back.” I folded the drawing and placed it in my pocket.

“Thank you. I’ll pay you once I-,”

“Don’t worry about it.” The words came out before I could think. “Payback for the, apparently, large tip you gave yesterday for the coffee.”

Regina smirked. “It wasn’t that large of a tip but alright.” She looked me over slowly. “Do I make you uncomfortable Miss. Swan? You’ve been fidgeting since the lobby.”

Heat started to burn my cheeks. “Uh…no it’s... I’m just not used to being all dressed up. I’m used to jeans and a leather jacket. Not,” I motioned up and down myself, “this.”

“So, why did you dress up? Wanting to make a good impression on me?” Regina’s voice was a purr and the mischievous grin that tugged at her lips just made my cheeks burn more. Regina chuckled softly. “Miss. Swan, I’ve already seen you in your work attire. I appreciate you following the dress code for my museum. But next time, feel free to wear a nice pair of jeans and nice shirt.”

“Thanks.” I cleared my throat awkwardly. “Well, I’ll get right on this. One guy owes me a favor so I’ll see you later.” I was almost about to open the door when Regina spoke up.

“Coffee on Wednesday. You pay of course.”

I looked over my shoulder, “Deal.”

Xxx

When I got home, I filled Henry in on what happened between Regina and I. He was excited about Wednesday even if it was just a meeting. Over the next two days, I asked Victor, one of the men I, ironically, helped set free, if he could help me find the thief. “So who is this guy Emma?” Victor folded a copy of the drawing and shoved it into his pocket.

“He robbed a museum and took a very important statue.” I leaned against the car Victor was currently working on. “How’s business now that you’re a free man?”

“It’s great. I get mostly state vehicles to work on but who cares? A car is a car and money is money.” Victor leaned down to tinker with the engine of a police car.

“When it’s clean money.” I sighed inwardly thinking about Regina and the look in her eyes when she told me more about what the statue looked like.

“Well of course.” Silence fell between us a few moments. “So, who is she? This woman you work for? Is it that Regina Mills who owns that modern arts museum or is it a different one?”

“No, it’s her. I didn’t know Mr. Big and mighty Victor Zambrano liked art.” I shot the older gentlemen a coy grin.

“My lady is the one who loves it. I’m not big into the art scene.” The man whipped his hands on a dishtowel he had slung over his shoulder. “But it makes her happy.”

“That’s how I am with my son.” Victor and I continued talking for awhile until I needed to get home to cook dinner. Victor told me he would call if anything came up. Thankfully, he was a man of his word.

Xxx

Early Wednesday morning, Victor called to let me know he found the man with the lion tattoo. I thanked Victor and told him I would be by to get it shortly. Once I sent Henry on his way, I started for the address Victor gave me. It was in a bad part of town and I was glad to I have a concealed weapons permit. Keeping one hand on my gun, I walked into the abandoned storage building. When I heard someone moaning, I got slightly nervous. “Victor?”

“We’re in here Swan!”

Drawing my gun, I pushed away plastic that covered the entryway. There stood Victor with a few of his biker buddies with, whom I guessed was the thief, between them. The dirty blonde haired man was tied to a chair with a strip of duct tape around his mouth. “Nice job boys. Did he give you the statue?” Something inside me was happy they had to rough him up a bit. Revenge for hurting Regina.

“Indeed he did.” Victor was quite proud of his handy work. “And everything else he stole. Though, I have a favor to ask you.”

“Yeah?” I walked over to the table and picked up the small, eight inch statue.

“This jackass has a bounty on his head. Can I turn him in and get it?”

“Sure. You and your boys caught him for me and I have what I want. So go ahead. Just split the money evenly okay?” I walked over to the man who kept struggling against the restraints. “Look,” grabbing his chin, I forced him to look at me. “You EVER steal from that museum again, and I’ll come after you personally. The beating my boys gave to you will be a cake walk in comparison to what I’ll do to you. Got it?” The man’s eyes grew wide as he agreed franticly. “Good.”

“Swan, let’s talk outside.” Victor walked me out. I could only imagine what his friends were going to do once I was out of sight. “She must be important to you.”

“Who?”

Victor stopped and folded his arms. “This Regina Mills. You’ve never threatened someone like that before. You may rough them up, but nothing like that.” All I could do was shrug. “Uh-huh. Don’t shrug at me.”

Chuckling softly I sighed. “I don’t know. It’s a long story. But I have to go. Meeting her for coffee in forty-five minutes and it’s gonna be busy getting back to that side of town.”

“Good luck.”

Xxx

“Hey, sorry I’m late. Traffic was horrible.” Rushing into the coffee shop I saw Regina at my normal table. There was a cup of coffee waiting for me.

“I hope you have a good reason to keep me waiting.” Regina watched me as I sat.

“I do indeed.” I pulled the statue from a bag and set it on the table.

Regina’s dark eyes grew when she saw it. Running her fingers along the smooth edges, I saw joy start to sparkle in her eyes. “Thank you Emma. I thought I’d never see this again.”

“You’re welcome. And rest easy. The guy who stole this won’t be coming back anytime soon.” I sipped the, now, room temperature coffee. My nose crinkled from the tart taste.

“You were late.” I chuckled softly at the smirk on Regina’s lips. “Do I even want to know why you’re so sure he won’t be back?”

“Probably not.” Regina’s brow rose. “Let’s just say, me and a few friends had a “coming to Jesus” moment with him.”

“Well, whatever you did, thank you. I’ll probably not display this again.”

“Might be a good idea.” I sipped the coffee quietly and watched Regina inspect the statue. I wondered why it was so special to her. “Would you like to go out to dinner with me tonight?” Regina’s eyes shot to me. Shock was clear at my bluntness. “O-or not.”

Dark eyes narrowed in my direction. “What makes you think I’d be interested in going out to dinner with you?” There was a twitch at the corner of Regina’s mouth as she noticed panic raging through me. “Yes. Pick me up here at eight.” Regina wrote down her address on a napkin and pushed it towards me.

Xxx

As I got ready for my date with Regina, my stomach was churning. I have never been this nervous about a date in my life. She was just a woman. It’s not like she was an all mighty queen. “Pull it together Swan.” I ran my fingers through my loose curls once more before walking out the door. Henry was staying with a friend to do some science project; or so he says. I think he has too high of hopes for this date. But then again, I could use this to my advantage. It would be more laid back and more intimate if I cook her dinner. I toyed with different ideas as I drove to Regina’s apartment building. When I pulled up, Regina was talking with the doorman. She looked beautiful in the simple black dress. “Hey.” I stepped out and opened the passenger door.

“Who knew Emma Swan owned a dress.” Regina gave me a once over as she walked towards me. “Hello Emma.”

“Yes, contradictory to what you’ve probably heard about me, I am feminine.” Closing Regina’s door, I circled the car and reclaimed my seat behind the wheel. “I wanted to see if you would rather me cook for you verses having to wait in a crowded restaurant?”

Regina studied me a moment. “That sounds lovely.”

Xxx

“This looks delicious.” Regina watched as I served her a portion of lasagna. “Who taught you to cook it?”

I paused before serving myself. “You know, I don’t remember who taught me.” I took a seat and poured us each a glass of wine. “So, how was work?”

“It was alright. A lot of paperwork.” Regina took a bite and savored it. “Red pepper flakes?”

“It gives it a little kick.” There was a twitch at the corner of Regina’s mouth. I wonder what that’s about. “But thank you for letting me cook. I thought it would be better having a quiet dinner here.”

“It’s more intimate.” There was something about how Regina said the word ‘intimate’ that caused my stomach to clench.

“It is; and more laid back. It’s nice not having to worry about other people bothering us.”

Regina’s brow rose. “Well, I’m not sure about what kind of dates you’ve been on, but I normally don’t have to worry about people interrupting my dates.” Regina and I continued to talk about work, Henry, her background, and mine. It was a wonderful evening. I felt like I could really open up to this woman.

It was close to midnight before I yawned and we realized what time it was. “Oh, wow. I didn’t realize it was so late. You probably have work in a few hours.”

Regina looked at the clock. “Yes, I have to get up in about seven hours.” She stood gracefully and picked up our wineglasses. “I’ll help clean up.”

“Thank you.” There was a melancholy cloud between us. I didn’t want her to leave and I don’t believe she wanted to leave either. We were quiet in the kitchen. I loaded the dishwasher as Regina portioned the leftovers into containers to put in the fridge. “I’ve had a good time tonight.” I held Regina’s jacket out.

Slipping into it, Regina smiled softly. “I had a lovely time as well.” We stood at the door in silence. I wanted to kiss her but I was nervous. I had never kissed a woman before; let alone been attracted to one. Chewing my lip, I glanced down at hers. “Well, you better take me home.” Regina turned to open the door.

“Wait,” I placed my hand over hers. We were so close. Only inches were between our lips. It was hard to breathe with Regina this close. “Don’t…”

“What do you want Emma?” Regina’s voice was soft. She never took her eyes away from mine. My heart was pounding and I couldn’t say a word. All I could do was close the gap between us. A wave of energy passed between us and flashes of a different life came flooding in. I stumbled back and Regina caught me with a strong grip. “Emma?”

“Y-you weren’t just a dream.” I just kissed Regina….and broke a curse. And only true love’s kiss can break a curse… “Holy shit. I just…we just…broke…”

“A curse.” Regina kept her grip on my arm to make sure I didn’t fall.

“With true love’s kiss…” We were quiet a moment. “Did you know…who I was this whole time?”

“I did. I couldn’t live in Storybrooke without you and Henry. I tried but it was too painful. I’ve been keeping an eye on the two of you for the past year. We were never supposed to meet but…”

“I dreamt about you…about us in Storybrooke for months now.” My head started to ache from all the memories. The fake ones Regina created and the real ones.

“I figured something had to bleed through when we first met in the coffee shop. You knew who I was.”

“I guess some things are too deeply woven that even magic can’t erase.”

Regina cupped my cheek. “I guess so.” Her lips were so soft. I loved it. I knew this was going to complicate our history even more but in this moment I didn’t care. I loved Regina and she apparently loved me too.

“I love you Regina.” I whispered as I let my forehead rest against hers.

“I love you too.”

 


End file.
